Junior, Iminathi and Bokamoso make top 10 most popular names list in SA

By RDM Newswire - 01 September 2015 - 18:40

The most popular name amongst baby boys born in South Africa last year was Junior‚ and Iminathi for baby girls. Bokamoso appeared in the top ten for both sexes. And Dlamini was the most common surname amongst babies born and registered in 2014‚ followed by Ntuli and Ngubane.

Although most of the first names in the top ten having meanings that signify happiness‚ acceptance and thankfulness‚ a high number of the babies born last year will grow up without a father.

This is contained in the latest Recorded Live Births Report 2014 that was released by Statistician General Pali Lehohla at the Imbizo Centre in Parliament‚ Cape Town‚ on Tuesday‚ which is available on the Stats SA website.

A total of 1 161 159 births were registered in 2014‚ representing a slight decline of 0‚5% from the 1 166 554 births that were registered in 2013.

The Statistician General said out of this number‚ just over 886‚000‚ or 76.3% represented current births that took place in 2014‚ while approximately 274‚000‚ or 24%‚ represented late registrations that occurred in previous years but were registered in 2014.

There were more slightly more male births registered (587 592) than female births (573 567)‚ yielding a sex ratio of 102 males per 100 female births registered for South Africa.

Most births occurred during the months of March‚ January and September.

The Statistician General said South African women were late bloomers in becoming parents.

He said the average age group of mothers who gave birth in 2014 is 27 years.

“It is a high average that women start giving birth … it shows that there is a late start in South Africa in terms of giving birth‚” according to a report on a government website.

Women aged 20-24 had the highest percentage of births (26‚8%)‚ closely followed by women aged 25-29 (26‚0%) and those aged 30-34 (19‚9%). Mothers aged 40-54 when taken together accounted for a lower proportion of births (3‚3%).

Over two-thirds of the births registered in 2014 did not have details of the father.

Few fathers whose children were born in 2014 were part of the household‚ according the government report.

“There is a high level of absenteeism of males in households‚” Lehohla was quoted as saying.

Lehohla noted an incidence of 39% absent fathers‚ who were alive and who did not contribute to the household at all.

The remaining 44% of fathers were absent due to death.

Statistics revealed that 49% of all ‘never married’ mothers played emotional and economic parenting roles in their households‚ while 30% were alive but not part of the household. The remaining 21% were deceased.